Far East Blues Gentility
I have just come across this brilliant Indonesian blues trio and downloaded their latest album from Amazon. Lead guitarist Gugun has that felicity with the fretboard that marks him as truly gifted. He plays with the empathy of the consummate craftsman but also the precursor presence of people like Trower, Hendirx and Bolin for whom the tenth track, impressive instrumental Marching Strut, is dedicated. Gugun also has a fine blues voice - it isn't the growl of many, but is soulful, even funky at times, and ably supported on occasion by backing female vocals, as on the sweet sixth track Trampled Rose - which also has a signature guitar solo: nothing flash or bludgeoning, just crisp and utterly fluid.
This tight trio is completed by Jono on bass and Bowie on drums. The music is unashamedly 70s rockblues and is consistently superb. There is an overall gentleness to the playing which stems from that felicity I mentioned at the start - the effortlessness of it all exuding smooth curves rather than the rough edges of a rawer rock. I like both poles, but here is a paradigm for the former. There is a spiritual/religious leaning in some of the lyrics, but I haven't quite worked these out yet, and there is little to find about them online. I will be seeking out other work to acquire that fuller, no doubt continually pleasing picture.
The closing Hidden bonus track is a stonking instrumental: night-time insect sounds bookend a jazzfusion fretfest quite unlike the rest of the album, with drummer Bowie laying down some superlatives of his own.
No comments:
Post a Comment